KENNESAW — The Kennesaw City Council is expected to approve a $35,000 donation of fitness equipment for Swift-Cantrell Park on Monday.

The Council is also expected to award contracts for widening Rutledge Road, completing a pair of trails and improving Cherokee Street.

At its Tuesday night meeting at City Hall, the City Council learned that Life University would donate the fitness equipment in exchange for naming rights to a wellness station at the park’s entrance, plus other considerations.

“There would be a one-time presentation, there would be a ribbon-cutting with the mayor and Council, they would be able to have presence at the Grand Prix races,” he said about a series of six 5K races held May through December.

Additionally, school representatives may address the crowds at the city’s free Outdoor Movie series.

“They would be able to speak at one movie for the next three summers, encouraging people to engage in an active, healthy lifestyle,” Drobney said.

As for the Rutledge Road work, the Council agreed on a $515,180 contract with Lilburn-based Construction Management and Engineering Services. Under the contract, the company would also widen Main Street to the city limits, add a northbound median turn lane to Cathey Lane, extend the northbound turn lane into Swift-Cantrell Park and add a southbound turn lane into the park, according to the work session agenda.

“We already have a contract with CMES,” Public Works Director Earnie Via said. “They’re already doing half the project. It would save us money, plus it could be done this year. They also said they would do this at 2011 unit prices.”

The cost would be paid for out of the 2011 SPLOST.

Also Monday, the Council is expected to award a $167,357 contract to Fairburn-based Georgia Development Partners, the lowest of three bidders, to build Whispering Lake-Church Trail and the Matlock Trail, a project funded by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“This will complete Phase 3 and 4”of the Community Wide Trail project, Drobney said. “We combined them into one project to save dollars.”

In other business, Bartow Paving was the low bidder at $430,000 for construction work on Cherokee Street southbound lane extensions, turn lanes and a traffic signal, Via said.

The 3-mile Community Wide Trail will connect neighborhoods from Jiles Road to downtown Kennesaw.

The equipment donation, Rutledge Road work and Whispering Lake-Church Trail and Matlock Trail, and Cherokee Street votes were placed on the consent agenda, which Council members are expected to approve en masse without further discussion at Monday’s City Council meeting.

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